Smelting furnace



March 24, 1925.

H, 1... CHARLES SMELTING FURNACE Filed July 30. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1March 24, 1925. 1,530,754

H. L. CHARLES SIELTING FURNACE Filed July 30, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2nvvew 70/? H. L. 471M455 through the chamber and are preferably spacedabove the hearth with their for- Ward ends terminating beyond the roofproper. The heat given off around the con into the chamber, whereas thehoppers 10 by means of the pipes 11 will cause the ore to be conductedor fed to the lower portions of the chamber. The advantage oi thismethod of feeding is that the ore surrounding the burner conduit 8 willmelt first and by feeding ore to be smelted into these zones a moreellicacioiis smelting operation may be carried out. i

It will be seen that the invention comprises the directing of smeltingflames from the burner post a pile or quantity of ore located adjacentthe path of the flames and subject to being melted by the beat ot theflames. The flames are directed beyond this ore over the portions of thehearth on which the 'ordinary smelting operations are carrie out. Theflames may be directed through the ore as shown in the drawings.

The pipes or conduits 8 conduct the flames past the ore and temporarilyprevent the flames from coming into contact with the ore because whenthe conduits melt the flames will then make such contact. in this waythe utilization of the heat above and also around the path of thellan'ics and close to the arch is provided for and the smelting ofore'may be carried out in zones of the furnace which heretofore were notemployed to contain ore .to be smelted.

It will thus be seen that the flames are prevented from coming intocontact with the ore in the chamber only while the conduits or pipesthrough. which the flame passes remain intact and as soon these pipes orconduit-s melt, the flames will come 1n contact; with the ore and meltthe ore which has not been melted during the time 1 that the flames aredirected through the ipe., \Vhen the body of ore inthe chain er has beenmelted and the walls of the chamber and arch are exposed to the heat,new pipes or conduits are put in place and the chambers again filledwith ore in order that the smelting operation may be repcated. Thus itwill be seen that the pipes or conduits, 8 prevent contact of the flameswith the ore in the chamber at the time of the smelting operation andprovide for semi-fusing of the ore around the pipes so as to form a pathfor the flames when the pipes or conduits melt away. It is to beunde'stood that iron as well as copper ore may be su'ielted with thefurnace of this invention, since the invention is capable of beingcarried out in open hearth iron furnaces as well as reverberatory copperfurnaces. lVhen the ore around the conduits or pipes 8 becomessemi-fused, the semtfuscd portions will support the body of the oreabove the flames and fresh ore may be supplied from time to time,particularly at the sides of the chamber where it will be needed soonafter the smelting operation begins and when the conduits or pipes 8 aremelted away.

While I have shown that the invention may be carried out by raising aportion of the arch near the burner and forming a chamber into which oreis fed through the arch and by directing flames past this body of orethrough conduits or pipes I may however, provide other arrangements andconstructions for carrying out the invention without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention as defined by the append ed claims.

The vertical pipes 11 may be used to direct fuel, either powdered coalor gas into the chamber so as to intensify the heat. The vertical pipescan be arranged to discharge the fuel into the conduits 8.

I claim:

1 The method of smelting ore in a reverbcratory furnace which consistsin directing a smelting flame from the burner through a passage inaquantity' of ore located in the furnace 1 The method of smelting ore ina reverberatory furnace which consists in directing a si'nelting flamefrom the burner through a passage in a quantity of ore located in thefurnace and smelting other ore along the hearth beyond said ore throughthe agency of said flame 23. The method of smelting ore in areverbcratory furnace which consists in directing a smelting flame fromthe burner through a quantity of ore located in the furnace and smeltingother ore along the hearth beyond said ore through the agency of saidflame without causing contact of the lame with said quantity of ore.

4. The method of smelting ore in a reverberatory furnace which consistsin cansing a smelting flame to be directed through a quantity of oredisposed in the furnace without causing contact of the flame with theore.

The method of smelting ore in a reyerbcratory furnace which consists incanslot) mg a smelting flame to be directed past a a quantity of oredisposed above the path of flame without contact of the flame with theore.

8. The method of smelting ore in a. to

verhoratorv l'urnaae whit-h consists in direeling suit-hing; ililllluour the hearth of the furnace, trawling smelting ore into zones of sin/llting heat. :ul arunt to the burner and PI'tYtIltilif-j itilliitt'i, ol'h flame with said ore thus i'r-d adjarent to the burner.

7. A rmrr wiwu'ouv l'uruave vuihtulying in itS eonstrurhon a hvartla alulu-nor tor di routing Sllit'itlll;{ ihituvs our the hearth, an archover the hearth and havirng a. portion thereof located adiarunt; to thehurnnr raised with respevt to the remaining portion and proriding achamber. said HYL'll having ore l'eed openings in the raised portion andwalls for ronduuting' heating flames from the hurin-r through saidchamber and to the hearth herond said ehauil'ier.

h. In a revrrheratory t'urnaee embodying in its construction a hearth, aburner for directing llanies over said hearth, an arch ms tending overthe hearth and having a par tion thereof adjacent the burner elevatedwith respect to the remaining portion, upright walls defining with saidelevated portion of the arch and the hearth a. ehaniher located adjarentthe burner, one of said Walls having an opening therethrough through\VillCll melte 01 {ran the chamber will pas? onto the llt'zli th and aflame conduit extenrh in; from the burner through said eluouher anddiret-ting flames onto the hearth beyond the chandler,- said raisedportion of the art-h having openings through whieh ore may be fed to the"smelting ehanihr-r.

S). A reverheratory smelting furnare en:- bod ving in its construction ahearth, a burner for directing names owr the hearth, an arch over thehearth 'irovideti with means for feeding smelting ore into the furnacead1arent to the burner :iiti means for directing tlinlts through ore fedinto the furnace at points adjagunt tho hurnr-r and over portions of thearth loeatvd he vond the ore thus adjarent to t 1e lmrner.

is). A revwrlierattn i" smelting furnace comprising in its ron trurtiona. hearth, a hurner for direrrtin I flames over the hearth, an ar -hover the lmarth provided with means 'ior feeding smelting ore into thefurnace adjaemit to the burner and means for directing flames throughore fed into the furuar-e at points adjacent the burner and overportions of the hearth located beyond the ore thus ted adjacent to theburner Without causing eontiart of the flames with the ore loi'atvdclose to the burner.

11. The method of smelting ere in a furnare which ronsists in causing asmelting flame to he directed past a quantity of ore disposed in thefurnace and for a part; of the time during the smelting operation, without causing Contact; oi? the [lame with the ore, and for the remainderof the time of the smelting operation by causing contact of the flamewith said ore.

12. The method of smelting ore in a furnaw which cons ts in providing apassage through a quantity of ore, then directing a smelting flamethrough the passage in said ore.

11 ENE Y L. CHARLES.

